HoMie

Who we are

HoMie is a Melbourne-based streetwear label and social enterprise. 100% of HoMie’s profits go towards achieving its mission: to support young people affected by homelessness or hardship.

What we do

Pathway Alliance

The Pathway Alliance is HoMie's flagship accredited education and employment program for young people aged 18 to 25. It runs from March to October each year and provides intensive wraparound support over eight months. Participants are paid to study a Certificate III in Business (co-facilitated with a Registered Training Organisation), paid to work part-time in the HoMie store or with a retail employer partner such as Champion or Nike, and paid to attend personal and professional development classes covering topics including financial literacy, mental health, resume writing, and cultural awareness. All wages are paid in line with the General Retail Industry Award. Eighty-four per cent of Pathway Alliance graduates are employed or enrolled in further education twelve months after finishing the program.

• 84% of Pathway Alliance Graduates are employed in meaningful work and/or are enrolled in further education 12-months post-program. Long-term, life-changing, impact.

Retail Ready

Retail Ready is a paid, supported ten-week work experience program for young people aged 18 to 25. Participants work two to three shifts per week on the shop floor (around twelve hours per week on a casual contract), receiving training in customer service, visual merchandising, point of sale, and stock management. Young people apply through their community support worker, and are supported on the job by HoMie's in-house youth workers.

• All young people enrolled in the HoMie Pathway Alliance are paid according to the General Retail Industry Award – no ‘volunteering,’ ‘job readiness training’ or ‘payment in exposure’ with us!
• Since 2015, HoMie has had over 4,177 young people come through the HoMie Pathway Alliance and VIP Programs, that’s over 400 a year!
• Young people have worked over 22,879 hours of paid retail employment at the HoMie store or with HoMie-trained partners (Champion, Nike, Sportsgirl)

VIP Days

VIP Days are the program HoMie started with, before it even had a permanent store. HoMie closes its shop to the public and invites groups of young people affected by homelessness or hardship to come in and shop for free. Each participant selects five items of brand-new clothing, receives haircuts, nail and beauty services, and a personal care pack, and enjoys a catered lunch. The program operates in partnership with community service organisations, who refer young people aged 12 to 24 and attend on the day. HoMie also runs an annual rural VIP Day in a regional or remote location, and provides take-home clothing packs to services that cannot travel to the store.

Every year, through our VIP Program, HoMie gifts over 1000 items of brand-new HoMie clothing to young people affected by homelessness or hardship.

HoMie Alumni

When young people graduate the Pathway Alliance, they become part of the HoMie Alumni community. The Alumni program offers paid advocacy opportunities, a job club, and regular social events to keep graduates connected to each other and to HoMie.